


All In

by adrianna_m_scovill



Category: Leap of Faith - Menken/Slater/Cercone, The Path (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 14:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21736327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adrianna_m_scovill/pseuds/adrianna_m_scovill
Summary: For a request for Jackson Neill/Sam Nightingale. I really need to write more of them someday.
Relationships: Jackson Neill/Sam Nightingale
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	All In

Sam raised her knuckles toward the door but drew her hand back, startled, when the door suddenly swung inward before she’d touched it. She found herself staring at a beautiful dark-haired woman in an evening gown, who seemed just as startled to see her.

Sam took a step backward, smoothing a hand over the front of her Beatles t-shirt, immediately self-conscious. _This was a mistake_, she thought, and she almost turned to flee. Maybe she could disappear before he spotted her, and he would never have to know that she’d stopped by.

“Hello,” the other woman said, her tone cautious as she glanced down the length of Sam’s body, noting her t-shirt, her holey jeans, her scuffed boots. “Can I help you?”

“No,” Sam said, taking another step backward, her sense of pride the only thing keeping her from bolting. “Sorry, I—”

“Sam?”

_Shit_, she thought, feeling the air leave her lungs and the blood rush to her face. She looked past the other woman and met Jackson’s eyes. He seemed surprised, and Sam cursed herself for thinking it would be a good idea to show up unannounced at his door. She’d had no right to assume he would be alone, or that he would be happy having her simply show up at his house. They’d been on exactly two dates since she’d gotten to town, and both had ended with him kissing her goodnight at her door. He seemed determined to take things slowly in spite of the fact that they’d slept together the first day they’d met.

And Sam appreciated it. He was the most considerate, and genuine, person she’d ever dated. She appreciated it, but it also made her nervous, because she wasn’t sure she deserved to be with someone like him.

Jackson reached the dark-haired woman’s side and put a hand on her back, but he was looking at Sam. “Come on in,” he said. “Kate, this is Sam. Sam, Kate,” he added with a gesture toward the woman beside him. Then he turned and kissed the woman on the cheek, and she stepped outside.

“Nice to meet you, Sam,” she said, although Sam could see her caution and curiosity.

“Nice to meet you,” Sam returned automatically, shifting out of the way so Kate could pass. When Sam forced her gaze back to Jackson, she found him studying her with a slight frown marring his forehead. “Sorry,” she said, doing her best to hide her embarrassment. “I shouldn’t’ve just stopped by, I thought—”

“Sam,” he said. “Please come in.”

She looked at him, chewing her lip for a moment. Finally, she nodded and stepped forward into the house. He closed the door and put a light hand on her shoulder, kissing her forehead, and she could feel some of her insecurities sliding away. He always made her feel like he wanted to spend time with her.

“My kids are here,” he said. He sensed her hesitation and tipped his head to catch her gaze. “I’d like you to meet them, if…you’re up for that.”

“Was that your ex-wife?” she asked, to buy herself a few moments to gather her thoughts.

“Kate?” he asked, clearly surprised by the question. “Yes, didn’t I—Well, I guess not. Sorry. She was dropping off…” He trailed off, studying her face for a few seconds. “There’s nothing—”

She held up a hand to stop him. “You don’t owe me anything,” she said. And then, because she couldn’t keep the words from tumbling off her tongue: “She’s beautiful.”

He shrugged a shoulder. “She is. And there was a time when I thought I would spend the rest of my life with her. But now that part of my life is over.”

“She broke your heart.”

“Yes.”

“You’re still friends?”

“We were married for twelve years,” he said. “And she’s the mother of my kids. There’ll never be anything more.”

“Never’s a long time,” Sam muttered. “If she apologized and begged you to forgive her?”

“She did apologize, and I have forgiven her,” he said. “Sam, I know…you’re not asking for this, and we haven’t discussed exclusivity, but I just want to say that you don’t need to worry about me. Not with my ex-wife and not with anyone else. I would never—”

“I know, Jackson,” she interrupted, stepping forward to lay a tentative palm against his chest. “I know you wouldn’t. But…I can’t help thinking—”

“Dad!”

Sam dropped her hand and took a quick step backward, putting some space between herself and Jackson as a little girl—six or seven, Sam guessed—appeared from a hallway. The girl stopped, frowning at the sight of Sam.

“What’s wrong?” Jackson asked his daughter.

“Will said he was gonna feed Jeremy to that stupid snake!”

“Miss Hissy isn’t stupid!” The boy—Will—looked like he was ten, or maybe a small twelve, with pale blond hair and green eyes that matched Jackson’s perfectly. “That hamster’s stupid! All it does is get stuck—”

“Let’s not call anyone else’s pet _stupid_,” Jackson cut in. His tone was mild. “And Will, don’t threaten Jeremy. Cleo, honey, your brother’s not going to feed your hamster to his snake, I promise. Both of you, come here for a second and meet a friend of mine.”

Sam fought the urge to fidget as the kids approached. She supposed it didn’t matter if Jackson liked her or not, if his kids hated her. She was no good with kids, she never had been—not even when she was a kid herself.

She wasn’t good with people in general. That was Jonas’s talent, not hers.

“Sam, this is Will, and Cleo.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sam said, rubbing her palms on her jeans. “Uh—Did I hear your snake’s name is Miss Hissy?” she asked. “That’s a pretty cool name.”

“Do you really like The Beatles or just pretend?” Will asked with a glance at her shirt.

“Don’t be an asshole,” Jackson said calmly, surprising Sam.

Cleo giggled. Will frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you know the song ‘Hey, Bulldog?’” he asked.

“Might be the only Beatles song I really hate,” Sam answered without stopping to consider. She felt a flutter of unease after the words left her mouth. If it was Will’s favorite song, she was likely dead in the water.

To her surprise and relief, Will’s frown eased and he laughed. “It’s pretty dumb,” he said. He considered before sliding his father a sly look. “Bulldogs would be good pets, though,” he suggested.

Jackson chuckled lightly. “Nice try. Go get cleaned up for supper.”

Will rolled his eyes and turned to leave the room, but Cleo hesitated. “You have pretty hair,” she told Sam. The little girl’s hair was dark, like that of her parents, and hung straight to her shoulders.

“Thank you.” Sam paused. “Yours is very pretty, too.”

“Do you know how to make braids?”

“Yes,” Sam said. “Mine was never very good in a braid, too crazy, but I bet yours is.”

“Mommy didn’t have time to do it. She’s on a date with Todd. Daddy’s okay at braiding…” She glanced at her father, then back at Sam. “Are you eating dinner with us?”

“Oh, um,” Sam said, glancing at Jackson. “I don’t—”

“Honey, go wash your hands,” Jackson said, bending down to plant a quick kiss on his daughter’s head. He watched affectionately as the little girl headed toward the hallway, and then he turned to face Sam. “I’d like you to stay for dinner if you’re comfortable with that.”

“Comfortable?”

“They’ll ask you a million questions. You don’t have to answer anything you don’t want to.”

“I appreciate the offer, Jackson, but I didn’t mean to just…crash your family night. I should’ve—”

“I’m glad you came over,” he said. The sincerity in his voice and soft affection in his expression were disarming, and Sam found herself at a loss for words. “I would’ve invited you but…” He paused, seeming to consider his words before continuing: “the last thing I want to do is scare you away.”

“Scare me away?” she asked hesitantly.

“Sometimes I move too quickly. But if I do that, please talk to me. Tell me if I’m pushing—”

“Pushing?” She stared at him for a moment, processing. He looked worried, his forehead creased in concern, his green eyes soft as he regarded her. “We haven’t—You haven’t even tried to sleep with me since I got here,” she said, lowering her voice into a near-whisper and glancing toward the hallway to make sure the kids were nowhere in sight. “I know we don’t really know each other that well and now…we’re in your world and—”

“Sam.” He stepped close, settling his hands onto her hips, and her breath caught as she stared up at him. “Honey, I’m all in. I know it took a big leap for you to come here, to start a whole different life without your brother, to enroll in school—You have the right to figure all of that out at your own speed. I don’t want you to have to worry about me, or us, or figuring out if I fit into your plans. I’m patient, Sam. I’ll wait right here for as long as it takes.”

“What do you mean, all in?” she asked after a few seconds of silence. At his slight grimace, she put a hand on his chest. “Please, tell me.”

“Sam, I’m in love with you. I want everything. At your speed. I promise, you don’t have to worry—”

“Would you—Would you stop being so goddamn _nice_,” she said, and he blinked in surprise. “Jesus, Jackson, here I’ve been worrying that maybe you’re not into me anymore and now here you’re telling me you’re in _love_ with me?”

“Not _into you_?”

“Look, I appreciate the gentleman act, alright, but I think you played it a little too cool, here.”

He laughed, a bubbly sound that made her grin in response. “How warm do you want me to play it?” he asked, tugging her closer. He tipped his head, considering, and his smile took on a mischievous tilt that made her stomach flutter. “How…_not nice_ do you want me to be?” he teased.

She pressed her body flush against his and raised her eyebrows. “I think we can figure that out together.” She paused, dropping her gaze for a moment. He watched her face, waiting, his hands warm and reassuring on her hips. “The truth is, I’m…not good at letting people be nice to me,” she admitted quietly. She met his eyes again. “But I want everything, too.”

He smiled, lifting a hand to her chin. He ran his thumb along her jaw for a few seconds, searching her eyes, before dipping his head to brush his lips against her. “Stay for dinner?” he asked quietly.

“Mmhm,” she agreed, tipping her chin up to kiss him again. _I’m all in_, she thought.


End file.
